The Game Changers

byLem James

SHARE

Now and then I come across a product or a way of doing things that is such a simple good idea that it changes the whole game. In the outdoors I have a small list of things that I have or do that may be similar or different than what works for other people. Simple things include exploring new country during scouting time and always carrying a headlight instead of a flashlight. The Safari Sling is simple and very useful. I hunted with an old man once in Okanogan who washed his dishes in tea in the woods. He had a whole routine for hunting, gun cleaning, and almost everything else that was completely different than any other person anywhere. Viva la differance!

The truth is there are quite a few outdoors-oriented individuals around who still enjoy pulling a trout out of a marshy spot in the mountains or snowshoeing in to see if the ice is off at their favorite high mountain lake. As a way of life though, these earthy things have been fading as the cities with their masses of people tend to set the social standards. In spite of, or rather because of this turning away from wilderness skills, these skills have become even more important to preserve. Without the lenses of life from a natural perspective the Game will be changed and lost. Aldo Leopold said that “The two greatest dangers of living in the city are believing that food comes from the grocery and that heat comes from the register.” Amen!